Miami Dolphins rookie Greg Joseph believes he’s an NFL kicker

Friday

Aug 31, 2018 at 12:01 AMAug 31, 2018 at 3:56 AM

The next 48 hours will be tough on Dolphins kicker Greg Joseph, especially since the Premier League matches don’t come on until Saturday morning.

Joseph is one of a few dozen Miami players sweating out the upcoming roster deadline, but his situation is as straightforward as it gets: By Saturday at 4 p.m., it’ll either be him or Jason Sanders on the roster in a decision likely made by special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi.

The other one will be on the open market, but the good thing from Joseph’s perspective is that he believes he’s proven himself as a legitimate kicker whether he stays with Miami or not.

"People have told me if it doesn’t work here, ‘You’re gonna have a shot and you deserve to be one of the 32,’" Joseph said. "A couple months ago I was just a kicker from FAU, so I’m thankful to Rizz for giving me a shot. Whether I’m part of the 53 or not, I’m leaving that building with a smile on my face because I did everything I could and I’ve had a great experience."

Joseph, who also played at American Heritage School in Delray Beach, came in as an undrafted rookie to compete against Sanders, a seventh-round pick from New Mexico. All indications throughout the past few months have been that the two kickers are fairly even.

In tonight’s 34-7 victory over the Falcons, Sanders made a 56-yard field goal and missed badly on a 53-yarder that might have been deflected. Joseph hit one from 33 yards.

For the four preseason games, Sanders hit 7 of 9 and his only misses were from at least 50 yards, while Joseph made his only three attempts (the previous two were from 48 and 54 yards).

Joseph had received no indication of the Dolphins’ plans at his position as of tonight, but felt good about his performance nonetheless.

"My goal was to be the best me I could be, and I do think I showcased that," he said. "What this camp has done for my confidence and my competitiveness is second to none. I’m just happy to have had this opportunity to learn about myself as a man and an athlete. I can’t wait to take that knowledge and apply it to life."

Beyond his confidence that he deserves a job kicking somewhere, Joseph will be fine regardless. He completed his undergraduate degree in exercise science and health promotion and is three classes away from getting a Master’s in Health Administration from FAU.

"The reason I’m so secure with whatever happens here is because I feel like I’ve done a great job, with the help of others, to prepare myself for life after football," he said.